Advice on keeping your vehicles in good condition, saving on gas and more.

Five must-haves for your truck

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Advice from GateHouse News Service on keeping your vehicles in good condition, saving on gas and tips from national auto columnist Junior Damato. Ready your car for the seasons, get advice for your teen drivers, and get the scoop on new, concept and
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Advice from GateHouse News Service on keeping your vehicles in good condition, saving on gas and tips from national auto columnist Junior Damato. Ready your car for the seasons, get advice for your teen drivers, and get the scoop on new, concept and upcoming makes and models.

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With a new truck decorating your driveway, you've probably got plenty of ideas of how you're going to use it for towing a boat, transporting large and heavy loads and conquering rugged terrain. Or maybe you just want to feel powerful while driving it down the road. But before you get too comfortable, think about what could make your truck even better. What can you add that will help your truck last longer, handle more tasks and look even stronger?

Feb. 13, 2013
11:17 a.m.

With a new truck decorating your driveway, you've probably got plenty of ideas of how you're going to use it for towing a boat, transporting large and heavy loads and conquering rugged terrain. Or maybe you just want to feel powerful while driving it down the road. But before you get too comfortable, think about what could make your truck even better. What can you add that will help your truck last longer, handle more tasks and look even stronger? Here are the five must-haves for all new truck owners to add to their vehicle.

1. Mud flaps - This detail is both a decoration item - show some style with a powerful diamond plate pattern or cheer on your favorite sports team everywhere you drive - and a safety item. Mud flaps help prevent your truck from throwing moisture and rocks back at vehicles following you, and they also help to keep the back end of your truck cleaner - so other drivers can see you in inclement weather.

2. Protective bedliner coating - A spray-on truck bedliner will give the bed additional protection from corrosion and abrasions, resist damage from chemicals and water, and keep objects stored in the bed from slipping and sliding around during travels.

3. Tie-down equipment - What is a truck better for than transporting large and heavy objects? Equip your new truck with tie-down anchor points and straps or ropes so they'll be handy whenever you need them. Be sure to attach the anchor points at strategic places in the bed or along the bed rails so you can secure both large and small loads.

4. Tool box - Just like the tie-down equipment, you never know when you're going to need a tool while you're out and about with your truck. Sometimes the tools are for the truck itself - lug nut wrench, jack, screw drivers, etc. - but a wide assortment of tools can come in handy for many other uses as well. Store these tools in a box in the bed of your truck.

5. Cover - For better fuel mileage with your new truck, install a hard or roll-up cover over the bed to help give the truck better aerodynamics, and to help protect what's stored in the bed from the elements. Some covers are lockable, allowing you to securely store more valuable equipment as well.